1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to sports and recreational equipment and, more particularly, is concerned with a quick-release interlocking frame assembly for interchangeably mounting at separate times operative sports devices, such as in-line skate rollers and an ice skate blade, to a boot sole.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Skates, both ice and roller, have long been popular sports and recreational equipment. Generally, each skate includes an operative sports device, such as an ice skate blade and an in-line skate roller assembly, which enables the skater to glide upon a supporting surface such as ice or a sidewalk, and a boot which fits the foot of the skater and mounts the operative sports device of the skate. Historically, the operative sports device of the skate has been permanently fastened to the bottom or sole of the boot. Even though in the case of both ice skates and in-line roller skates, for instance, the boot serves the same function, separate skates have been provided.
In recent years, different designs for convertible skates have been proposed in an attempt to afford the selective attachment of either an ice skate blade or an in-line skate roller assembly to the same boot and thus eliminate the requirement and expense for separate boots with the different operative sports devices. Some designs representative of prior art skates having interchangeable ice skate blades and roller assemblies are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,295 to Schaefer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,385 to Olson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,749 to Olivieri, U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,827 to Olson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,199 to Olson et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,366 to Shing, U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,846 to Gierveld and U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,462 to Gu.
However the interchangeable assemblies of these patents appear to have one or more of the following drawbacks: (1) a tool is required to remove and replace the different sports devices to and from their boot mounting frames; (2) separate parts, such as coupling nuts and bolts, are required to achieve secure and locked connections between the mounting frames and different sports devices; (3) a condition of quick-releasability between the different sports devices and mounting frames is not achieved in view that multiple operations are required to make the necessary connections between the mounting frames and different sports devices; and (4) coupling arrangements between the different sports devices and the boot mounting frames leave the sports devices vulnerable to accidential disengagement from the mounting frames.
Consequently, a need continues to exist for a frame assembly which overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks in the prior art without introducing any new drawbacks in place thereof.